Brand Personality: Why It Matters

How many times has this happened? You’re going to be set up with a person who, on paper, sounds perfect. They’re smart and nice; they have a good job. You enter the crowded restaurant, sit down in front of them and… nothing. At your first real interaction, they have no personality—there’s nothing that makes them stand out, nothing to adore, nothing that tugs at your heartstrings.

Brands, much like people, need a personality. It’s what makes them memorable and it’s what makes people choose them over others. This personality is necessary in creating an exciting brand that endures. “Love. It’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.” is far more evocative than “We produce a long-lasting car with all-wheel drive.” The question ultimately is why? Why does brand personality matter?


“MRI neuro-imagery shows that when evaluating brands, consumers primarily use emotions (personal feelings and experiences) rather than information (brand attributes, features, and facts).” – Psychology Today


Connection.

How are consumers or clients supposed to have a relationship with a bland bag of potatoes? Your brand is the first thing that people encounter, so quickly forging a bond with your audience is key. If you don’t get their attention, if they don’t think they can trust you, they’ll move on to your competitor. Brand personality plays a huge role in this: if your brand positioning is the rational connection, then your brand personality is the emotional connection.

Communication.

Think back to school, some of the teachers of the “most boring” subjects were the most beloved and cherished. Why is that? It’s not because of what they were telling their classes, it’s because of how they were telling it. How you express yourself to your audience is all a function of your personality. Your personality can be anything you want it to be, but finding the right personality for your brand and its audience will help you communicate naturally because your audience will want to listen.

Catchiness.

What’s going to keep your customer coming back? Having a good product or service is a given, but what’s going to make them pick up the phone and call you specifically? To choose your product off the shelf amongst the myriad of options? It’s your unique brand personality. Branding is all about being the zebra in a herd of horses, and personality is key in ensuring that you stand out.


“The essential difference between emotion and reason is that emotion leads to action while reason leads to conclusions.”
-Donald Caine, Leading Neurologist and Researcher


Being a brand is like being a contestant on a reality TV dating show…

Which contestants are the ones who get chosen? Are they the bland nothings who fade into the background? Absolutely not! They need personality to get that final rose at the end of the season. Personality is fundamental in creating a connection with your audience, communicating with them quickly and efficiently, and making sure you have top-of-mind status. Remember if you want that rose, bring your personality.

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